Tit, I agree with you to some degree on this, that there is probably more to this story. On the other hand, I've personally witnessed the rude treatment that is dished (no pun intended) out by some of the cafeteria staff at both Cleveland E. and Cleveland M. since both of my kids attended those schools. I visited for lunch way more times than can be counted. My two girls were then and still are some of the best well behaved young ladies you will ever meet. They were really scared of the cafeteria staff because of their rude manners towards their classmates, when I'd ask about the possibility of their friend being rude they'd say no, their just mean to us mom. This is not saying that there aren't some really nice staff in the cafeteria. One of my sisters volunters at her son's school (in Charlotte) and she has mentioned this being an issue at his school as well.
No worries T4T, I actually do have some concerns about the story. My question, which I have asked repeatedly in this thread, was why he was not given the veg. tray. Did he turn it down, or wasn't it offered? I've got no problem with a kid having to eat vegetables if he didn't have lunch money. What I do have a problem with is a kid going hungry through no fault of his own. They can't learn if they are hungry. I will be checking with DS's school to see if they have something like the lending program the PTA set up with the stickers & such. I don't think that there are many on here that go to Riverwood so I will have to call.
Let me ask you a question on the first part of your story. If you go to the store and you are 25 cents short, do you still get the items? That is what these kids are going to expect. He got a veggie tray. Right? WOuld the store give you something different because you didnt have the money for the item? probably not. With the rest of the post. Okay.
I know the story is a little long & rambling. However, I did say my son didn't want the food ... he wanted the drink. He had plenty of money for that. However, the drink was taken away along with the tray and he was handed a veggie tray and a cup to get some water. I probably wouldn't have been as upset about the entire incident if I hadn't been at the school that very morning to donate a few items needed by the school. In fact, I even made a quick visit to his classroom that morning. The folks at school know my family & that I would be at the school in a heartbeat if my son needed anything. Many of the folks on the staff & a few of those working in the cafeteria know that I work from home ... and that I would have no problem hopping in my car & making a trip to the school to deliver anything my child needed. Just last week I was called because my son walked out of the door without his violin. I realize that it's not the schools job to call me for every little thing. I am very appreciative that they called about the violin (even though my son has to accept a little responsiblity for forgetting that). The teacher has my email address & so does the staff and they have used it on many occassions to contact me. Despite all of this ... no one contacted me when my son's lunch account fell short. I am POSITIVE that I would have been contacted IF the database had been correct. I don't think any of these folks purposely ruined my son's day. I think they just didn't handle the situation correctly once my son made it to the front of the lunch line. I know & respect many of the folks who work at West View. They are a GREAT group of people. We all make mistakes sometimes. As I said before - I believe they have taken steps to ensure that parents are contacted before any child is handed a Veggie Tray. I told my son that the entire incident was MY FAULT ... not the teacher's, not the folks working in the cafeteria ... JUSt MINE. However, I do believe that like myself, many parents wait for the letter to arrive to let them know their child's balance is getting low. Because recieiving a "Veggie Tray" is so embarrasing for the kids ... I did think it was very important for the school to make sure they got the database straightened out before they went handing veggie trays to children who's parents would resolve the issue ... if they only knew there was a problem. In the past I trusted that I would recieve a letter if my son's balance ever ran low. After this event, I try to make sure my son always keeps a decent surplus of money in his account. It's bad enough that this happened once ... but my child is trusting ME to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Like I said. 100 kids going through the line, some probably complaining about what is being served. Others lollygaggin. The lunch ladys only have 30 min or so to get all of them lunch. I dont think it is being rude, I feel it is that they are rushed at that time. If they stop to chit chat with everyone, they wont get lunch served. If someone is in line in front of you at school and the lunch ladys were chatting with everyone not getting the kids through the line, you would be mad at that too. Poor lunch ladys.......No recognition, no credit...
Well ken, now that I am meeting people in here I understand that what is wrote here comes out different then people mean. I have calmed my little attitude down a lot. I thought it was funny!!!!! I just had to learn the hard way. dumb me. lol
This exact thing happened in another school district around here and made the news. The principal ended up admitting that in this particular case the kid had no money to pay, having forgotten his money that morning, went through the lunch line and got his usual lunch, they noticed he had no money and threw the food away, cafeteria staff instructed him to get another lunch but make sure it was the vegie tray. Not saying vegies aren't good, but they threw away perfectly good food, at least in this case he did get something to eat. When my oldest was in Cooper Elementary (only one year) her teacher took her snack away from her, saying that it wasn't a good snack. I will admit, it was her grandmother's homemade pound cake that was specially sent to her, so I let her take a piece to school for break. FYI, this child was a very quiet, calm, no problem child, straight A student. I told her not to worry, we'd not send something like that again, like OMG potatoe chips are any better. Guess what happened the next day, teacher throws a big party at break time bringing in canned cokes and chips and dip and ice cream, the works. Made no sense to me, just had to laugh at that twist on the story.
They were looking out for him. Made sure he got food along with a drink, not just a drink.. I think you read the lunch ladys wrong. My son is a lot like yours, doesnt eat much for lunch. They will not just let him get a snack, they make him get a lunch (whether he eats it or not) He cant just buy a drink, they wont let him. So the lunch ladys ARE looking out. Am I the only one rallying for the lunch ladys?
If you are supplied a veggie tray, you ARE NOT allowed to have any other drink but water. Thats part of the policy!
I here what your saying and agree that they get no recognition/credit and can't imagine the stress of feeding all those kids, but in the same token it doesn't take anytime to smile, it's amazing what a smile will do and it takes no amount of time to perform this very small act of kindness.
Dang...ya'll are making it sound like prison!!! Bread & water.... (Note, I don't have kids in school yet :?)
When you are really slammed at work do you sit there and smile? At all times? Are u smiling now while you are typing. I would appreciate it if you were. ROFL was smiling while serving part of the application? I couldnt even imagine being in the school system with the kids the way they are now a days. They probably have to be stern.
Well, I feel lucky. The lunch ladies are about the only nice ones at my kids school. Just the other day one had called me to see if I had sent my son some money because his account was empty. Luckily I packed him a lunch. My sons always seem to make good with the lunch ladies. The lunch ladies have gave my boys ice cream and cookies for free.
I bet if anyone goes into a lunch room while the kids are not in there they are the nicest people in the world. Just busy trying to do their job while most parents are visiting.
I've been in very stressful situations with my job and yes I always smile and treat people how I'd want to be treated. I've worked in the medical world for 25 yrs. and never, ever once have I treated one of my patients/customers with anything but respect and kindness. If I recall your going into a medical health allied field from one of your previous post. You will be challenged and there will be times that you don't want to smile and act the pretty, but that's what you'll do because that's part of the job and what you get paid for and most importantly what the patient/customer needs. I'm not saying that all of the cafeteria staff are rude, but that I've been to the schools to have lunch with my daughters and have seen first hand the treatment given to the kids by some of the cafeteria staff. IMO, they could try to smile sometimes.
I will not get into the discussion of whether or not the cafeteria workers were rude since I was not there...however, the vegetable tray option and the "no charging" is the result of parents refusing to pay the amounts charged by their children. I know of several incidents where the middle school children racked up charges of $50-100+ and the parents' reply was "I never told you to let my child charge lunch." The school system ended up losing that money. Imagine 10-20 children doing that at a school of 700...($500-$2000) That adds up quickly. Multiply that by 39 schools, and you can see the amount of our tax dollars going to pay these accounts when parents refuse to do right thing. (I'm not talking about parents who were out of work, etc. who suddenly lack the money. I am talking about the parents who knew how to work the system.)
So I guess the money my child had left over in her account and never used got eaten up by this, because I received no check for a refund.
